Her Smile, His Happiness
by Blinking Cursor
Summary: The first time he met her, he hurt her. The second time, he hurt her more. The third time around was his last chance, will he ever learn his mistake? They say, third time the charm. AU


**A Gakuen Alice Fan Fiction**

Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice

Summary: **The first time he met her, he hurt her. The second time, he hurt her more. The third time around was his last chance, will he ever learn his mistake? They say, third time the charm.**

**AU**

**Her Smile, His Happiness**

_By Blinking Cursor_

**One: The first time he met her, he hurt her**

_**Fifteen years ago**_

Elegant fingers monotonously tapped the edge of the wooden table with a blue-black stripe pencil before they paused to deftly vandalise the surface of the aforementioned wooden table with a drawing of a random stick figure which very much resembled the male teacher who was currently teaching in his infamous, lacklustre voice.

Crimson eyes darkened in annoyance as its gaze steered to the longer hand of the clock on the wall, it was moving in an ultimately slow pace. It was less than three minutes ago that those captivating crimsons eyes last read it and it seemed like a dragging eternity.

Attractive young face abruptly stirred to look at the male teacher when his dreary voice suddenly halted to a silence. Such event would be rare and it caught the owner of the said face's interest. The school headmaster stood by the frame of the door motioning the male teacher to come closer to him. They conversed for a short while and the teacher returned back to his original position and towing along behind him was a young girl.

Natsume Hyuuga eyed the girl curiously, noting her awkward appearances. She was dressed in a typical country girl style and he smirked at her brown hair tied in pigtails. She differed greatly from the rest of the girls in his class. She piqued his interest. He leaned forward when he heard the male teacher ordered her to introduce herself.

"Hello everyone!" Her voice was pitchy and sounded funny to his ears. "My name is Mikan Sakura, I am twelve years old, my parents just transferred from-" Her voice trailed away when he chose to tune her long cheerful monologue out. He decided that she would make a fine bullying material. His reason was quite simple enough: He immensely disliked her lively smile.

Cheers and jeers were heard as Hyuuga Natsume managed to trip his latest victim down to her knees. He towered over his victim, shooting her threatening look that would make a flesh eating dragon to hide in fear in a darkened hole. He was merciless and unforgiving. He was the most feared and others would cower in his presence but why did she even smile after such ill-treatment from him? Mikan Sakura confused him to an extent that he was becoming more abusive than what he planned to be. He kicked her.

"Stupid **polka-dots**," His voice was icy cold, his eyes were gleaming with so much sadistic aura that most present at the scene were glad that his target was her instead of them. He had resorted to a name calling. He knew it was unintelligent and that it was the lowest kind of insult especially when one's insult involved underwear, it suggested a great deal of perverseness and by all means, he was far from being a perverted young boy, not yet anyway. His twelve years old mind just shrugged it off as he continued to watch the girl.

The girl's face turned deep scarlet at what he said. He took a wild guess that it was because of madness as he noticed that her fingers had curled and tightened into tight fists. He was taken aback at what she did next: She smiled, again. His heartbeats increased two-folds. Her smile was different than what he had always seen on other's faces. It was radiant and sincere; pure and innocent.

"Ch." He turned his face away, having felt guilty at his own misdeed. He left and ignored the smiling girl making others that watched them dropped their jaws at the strange turns of event. They had expected him to beat her up or talked senses or better yet, fears into her.

Cherry blossom trees were blooming, blissfully ignorance of the events that revolved around them. At one particular cherry blossom tree, under its serene shade, sat a young boy, too young to meet its ancientness. With him was a small book, composed of pictures and dialogues, he seemed immersed with it that the presence of another person exclude him.

"Hello, Natsume," An excited voice greeted him, a pair of honeyed brown eyes smiled down at him.

Crimson eyes shifted from the book and stared straight at the newcomer. Natsume Hyuuga frowned, "Go away, polka-dots."

His frown turned deeper as the said 'polka-dots' sat herself besides him eyeing the book he was holding. She openly ignored his insult and smiled at him, asking him question about the book in a manner too friendly much to his dislikes. He had stopped making her life a living hell in the past few weeks. Every time he decided to do so, her smile would catch him off guard making him abandoned his cruel intentions altogether.

Mikan Sakura, she was a very interesting person and at the same time unusually frustrating. He was confused as where to place her, she was an odd girl. Sometimes he would observe her when he thought she was not looking. Within a week she had melted everyone's heart, grabbing their attention despite her clumsy antics. Everyone loved her dearly. He noticed that she was not pretty, it was the obvious truth. She was plain and simple looking, it was her smile that was extraordinary. It was almost enchanting and for him, soothing.

"-Sume…Natsume,"

He broke off from his thoughts as the same person who was occupying his thoughts hovered near him. Concern was clearly written on her face.

"Why are you being nice to me?" He questioned, there was a hint of curiosity laced in his voice.

The girl beamed gently as she once again plopped besides him much to his chagrin. She placed both her hands on her lap. "Because I think it is only fair for me to treat you just like I treat everyone else," She paused and played with her fingers, twiddling them almost in a shy manner, "besides, I think you are much lonelier than the rest seeing how hard they try to avoid you."

Her words struck a chord in his heart. He knew that it was the truth, at least part of it. In school, he gained respect he craved so much but at the same time he lost the true touch of friendship. People who claimed themselves his friends were only trying to buy his protection. The rest were just 'others' or on the common ground his preys and victims. To be more precise, he lacked real friends.

"Ch." He quickly rose up, annoyed that the polka-dots figured so much about him in such a short time. She did not turn out to be as stupid as he thought her to be considering how clumsy she could be at times. "Who are you to speak to me like that? You do not even know me that well." His voice was calculating and bitter, his crimson eyes were fixed on her face.

The questioned girl followed his action and quickly stood up to meet his gaze. A smile adorned her face, "I am Mikan Sakura and yes, I do not know you that well, that is why I am offering you my friendship, friends?" She extended her right hand.

He stared at her hand for a quick few seconds and slapped it away. He walked off while answering her question with a solid, "No."

The crimson eyed boy learnt the hard way that despite his blatant refusal and grating comments, the polka-dots would never leave him alone. She was an absolute essence of obstinacy. He was fooled and lulled into a state of carelessness by her cheerful nature.

He gently ran his fingers through his hair and slipped a single pink cherry blossom's petal off his hair as the girl continued her endless chattering. It was a common occurrence since the day she offered him her friendship, him and her sitting together under a cherry blossom tree much to his dismay.

"Go away, polka-dots. I am trying to read here," Natsume Hyuuga flipped opened the forgotten graphic novel in his hand.

The said polka-dots pouted, "You are no fun Natsume!"

"Hn,"

"Just like an old man!"

"Hn,"

"But then, even an old man knows how to have fun."

"Polka-dots shut up!"

Silence greeted the pair for a few minutes that Natsume turned his head towards the girl in curiosity. She seemed to be in thoughts. She looked at him when she sensed him looking at her. She broke into a small smile.

"Natsume, do you have a dream?"

"…"

"I have," She continued when he remained quiet. "My dream is to write a story that little kids will love."

"That is idiotic."

"Stupid Natsume, no it is not." She rebuked and huffed at his direction but went on with her tale, "I always want to write about a school, full of students with magical ability, you know, like mind-reading and levitating. It will be so cool!" She made an exciting hands motion in the air.

"That is even more idiotic and farfetched."

"Be supportive, Natsume!" She folded her arms, her frown growing deeper but that vanished as she came up with something. "Maybe, I will add a character based on you Natsume," She brightened at the thought. "A boy with a fire wielding ability, he is a very mean bully, an insensitive jerk, pig-headed, a loner…"

The corner of Natsume's lips lifted a little fraction at the blatant descriptions of himself, "you hurt me polka-dots. I am not that bad."

She glared at him, not feeling guilty at having portrayed him in such manners. "I am not done yet," She replied and he was sure he heard her said 'stupid Natsume' under her breath. "Well, deep down he is actually a very nice and caring person."

"Ch. I am far from being nice and caring, polka-dots."

"Deep, deep, deep, deep, deep down then, you cannot possibly be all that bad could you?"

"Who knows?"

"Only you will know."

"Tell me more of your dream, polka-dots." He started after a long silence that passed between them.

She smiled and that somehow tugged his heart into a small sense of happiness. "Well, I want it to be a story of friendship and perseverance, about a rejected girl trying to prove no matter how bad things can be, everything will turn out fine, as long as she gives her best."

"I have a dream as well, polka-dots." He finally admitted. He did not know why he did it but after having heard what she had told him, he thought she deserved to know even a little about him. It was a fair share.

She looked at him and waited patiently, an encouraging smile upon her face.

"I want to be a Manga artist." He revealed, slightly embarrassed. He never told anyone about it, who would have thought the very bully of the school, had affection for such art. "I… maybe I can make your story into a Manga."

Her smile broke into a happy grin, without much though she jumped on him and hugged him tightly, "That would be great Natsume!"

Natsume fell back into the tree behind him; he was very surprised at the unsuspecting hug he received. He gently returned her embrace.

Good fortune never last forever, a sunny day turned bleaker, one's dream gone forever, a starting friendship was another false hope threaded together, and it was the same for him and her. It began with a rumour and ended as a disaster.

Natsume Hyuuga was boiling in rage and it was mainly directed at her: Mikan Sakura. She was the reason he had turned weaker. She was the reason why others had slowly lost respect for him. Just because of that one incident under that cherry blossom tree.

He realised the look that the others were giving him, those sneers and jeers. That taunting song of him and her, 'Natsume and Mikan, sitting under a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…' He remembered punching the person who sang the song, that person ended in the infirmary. It was all her fault; he hated her more than he could hate anybody else. His fury blinded him so much that he intended to take revenge upon the poor unsuspecting girl.

"Natsume!"

A cheerful voice he knew too well called out for him. He stopped on his track and turned to face her. "What?" He snapped, his crimson eyes glaring dagger at the brown haired girl.

She was slightly taken aback by his violent reply and a frown appeared on her face for a few seconds before it was replaced by a soft unsure smile. "I want to show you something." She was holding a bunch of paper, seemingly important since she held it tightly close to her chest.

"I am not interested." He answered, turning away from her but was stopped when a petite hand grabbed his arm.

He narrowed his eyes, eyeing her intently, "Let go of my hand." He growled.

"But, I just want to show you the story I wrote."

"Are you stupid?" He asked, slapping her hand off his arm, "I said I am not interested."

"You promised Natsume…" There was an evident tremor in her voice; her hazel eyes stared warily at him.

"I never promise anything, even if I did, I don't even care, it is stupid anyway."

"Please, just have a look at it." She begged her voice soft and beseeching. She thrust the papers at him. "Please…"

Crimson eyes darkened. With a single and swift motion the papers were torn into pieces. He threw them into the air and left without looking back, "Leave me alone."

Mikan Sakura could only cry.

Mikan Sakura did leave him alone, she never come to school any longer. He could not comprehend why, but what he did to her kept haunting him every night, he was feeling guilt, he wanted to apologize. He waited for her to come every single day but the day never arrive. Later, he received a brown envelope from his teacher and learned that she had transferred. He asked for reason but the teacher would not tell him. Was it because of him?

"That poor girl, to be involved in such tragic accident,"

"I heard that both her parents died,"

"She lost her memory didn't she? Heard that she could not remember anything,"

Silence blanketed the staff room when a subtle knock on the door was heard. An elderly man stepped inside the room, sadness reflected in his eyes. "Hello."

"Oh, hello, how may I help you?"

"I am Mikan Sakura's grandfather. I am here to deal with her transfer." The old man said. He was holding a brown envelope.

"Oh, please have a seat, Mr. Sakura,"

"Thank you."

They talked for a while, signing papers regarding Mikan Sakura's transfer.

"I have a request," The old man started before he leave, he placed the brown envelope he had brought along onto the table, "I found this in my granddaughter's room. It was for someone by the name of Natsume Hyuuga." He said pointing at the scribble on the top of the envelope. "I am hoping that you can pass this to this young person. It must be important for her to make him have it, though she will never remember it anymore."

Both of them stared at the envelope before the teacher nodded, "Yes, I will give it to him."

"Thank you," The old man bowed. "And if it is possible, please keep everything that happens to her as a secret."

End chapter 1


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